BISTRO LA MINETTE

One packed nearly his entire staff into a limousine on Thursday night and shipped them downtown on a reportedly nausea inducing ride to Bistro La Minette. They poured out into the private party room and settled around a long pine table for a family style meal. If you have eaten in any small bistro in France the setting at BLM will be comfortingly familiar. There is also seating outdoors in a small enclosed courtyard draped with twinkling festive lights which One and Two enjoyed over the summer when the weather was more agreeable. The menu then reflected the season with an array of fresh fish and light appetisers. Thursday evening's meal was perfect for a Winter's night celebration among friends. Two has often wondered why One and his colleague never complain about going to work and there seated around that table were the ten beautiful reasons...all women.

The restaurant offers family style dining in the tradition of the French Bistro featuring large white chargers and tureens loaded with comfort food. First to arrive were small, delicate gougeres...think of them as cheesy air that requires just a bite or two to deliver the little burst of Compte to your palette. The guest to the right of two commented that she didn't want to fill up on bread, but alas, these little puffs just sail through the air to one's mouth unbidden one right after the "I lost count" other. Oh well. Go on. Fill up. Next the country pate arrived - a coarse pork pate surrounding a bit of fois gras and topped with a bare frosting of deliciously smooth liver pate then wrapped in bacon and served in a thick slice on a piece of toasted bread. Big crocks of cornichons and creamy mustard were placed amongst the guests. Along with the pate two large quiches landed at either end of the table. The crust was flaky and the filling was light. The big hit with everyone was the potatoes gratin. Oh the comfort...oh the cheese...the cream...the crispy edges of the potatoes. Landing right next to the potatoes were the most boring beets we had ever tasted. No taste of the earth in the beets at all.It didn't help that we had an organic gardener who delivers to the office the most densely flavored vegetables we have had. There is a beauty in serving a simple root vegetable solo with perhaps just some olive oil and salt. But this choice presumes that the vegetable tastes like something which these did not. The mushrooms served were having the same identity crisis. Boueff Bourguignon arrived in a big bowl full of tender chunks of beef in rich, viscous sauce. One suggested that perhaps the mushrooms should have taken up residence in the sauce with the beef to lighten the whole experience just a bit. Last to arrive was the cheese course which reflected both gooey and hard cheeses and which didn't offend the non adventurous but which held some interest for the cheese heads. The bibb lettuce salad tasted like nothing. Truly in a french bistro we have the expectation of flavorful vegetables to contrast with the heaver flavors and viscosity of the creams and cheeses and butters and meats in everything else. Dessert was a bouche de noel served with caramel ice cream. The ice cream tasted homemade - delicious. The bouche was beautiful, well crafted, and stuffed full of butter cream. Two would have liked to have had some more adventurous flavors appear within the log of cake on her plate...perhaps some espresso flavor in one of the butter creams? Picky picky picky. Overall, the meal was very good and sweetly reminiscent of France.

We give this Bistro,

BAR FERDINAND

One took Two to Bar Ferdinand for the first time in the late Spring before the tables were placed outside. The cool, damp weather made the Rioja that One ordered a perfect, warming choice. Two wondered how many times One had eaten at the restaurant for him to know the chef/owner so well...but why question the impromptu, perfectly timed tasting menu that flowed from the kitchen upon a warm greeting between the two men. Since then we have eaten in this way numerous times, trusting the combinations of plates to the chef. You are in very good hands if you make this choice. We have also ordered from the menu a la carte and that works well too, particularly if you have favorites. The Almendras de Marcona and Aceitunas, or mixed Spanish olives are always a great way to start...never overly salty in either case. Surtido de Carnes and Plato de Queso follow those choices well. Beyond these fairly safe and traditional ways to begin your meal is the wide expanse of the creative and diverse menu of Bar Ferdinand. We have never had a dish we didn't sigh a bit over. The combinations are creative but never overly complicated. The ingredients work together without overwhelming one another. Each ingredient simply makes sense, though the combinations are never boringly obvious. Bar Ferdinand is a place we keep going back to like a visit with an old friend who you seldom see but with whom the thread of conversation is uninterrupted. The atmosphere is comfortable with an arty edge. The room is usually full but not overwhelmingly loud. We recommend ordering things as you eat to share with the table. Ask the waiter to recommend how many plates of something will allow everyone to try the choices. Consider the specials as well. Before you go we recommend looking at their website, which offers in addition to visual treats from artists that have worked to bring beauty to the restaurant, an explanation of the focus of the restaurant and an introduction to the people behind its magic.

MUV BOX

Last Summer One & Two went to Montreal. On a whim. Neither had ever been there. Two has a good friend who grew up in Montreal who has always raved about the experience. One made arrangements to do a bicycle tour of the city that started in Old Montreal and meandered through the various neighborhoods of the city. Seeing Montreal by bike is highly recommended. The city is very rider friendly with designated cycling lanes and these really great, free for the first 30 minute bike rental kiosks located throughout the city. What fun to dress up for an evening out - heels and all - and fly on a sweet summer night downtown on two wheels. Free. No cab fare. Well, after the three hour tour we were hungry. One spotted what looked like a big red shipping container planted on the riverfront. Its sides were opened to reveal a small kitchen flanked on one side with standing style tables and on the other with sit down style tables. What on earth...MUV BOX! The insanely clever idea from Daniel Noiseux, a restaurateur/entrepreneur who apparently brought the first wood oven pizza to Montreal in 1981. His background is in architecture and graphic design which is readily apparent in the clever configuration of a shipping container that can be fully closed up and moved and which is 40% solar powered. Two was sceptical as One placed orders for two lobster rolls. Lobster out of a big metal box on the river side in Canada? The clam chowder was great. Two wanted more. The lobster roll was a squooshy hot dog style bun crammed full of lobster chunks in some sort of po boy style sauce. Wow. It was great. Quick. And right there at the start of what was to be another 3 hour bike ride along the St. Lawrence River. So when you are in Montreal and you see a red box with an array of tables and diners standing around eating brick oven style pizza and lobster rolls, pull up you bike and tuck into a really great fast food experience!We give MuvBox

CHIFA PHILADELPHIA

Chifa serves a unique, hybrid blend of Peruvian and Cantonese food derived from the cuisine of the Chinese workers that immigrated to Peru in the 19th century. So close your eyes and imagine a Chinese cook working with the ingredients of South America while along the way picking up some of the techniques of the region and then put the whole idea into the kitchen of Jose Garcas, aka Iron Chef extraordinaire. While your eyes are closed think about many small plates of artfully arranged tapas style dishes flowing from the kitchen by the hands of an endless army of waiters. Not one selection arrived at our table by the same hand. At Chifa, service seems to require a village.

The first dish to arrive was a family of four small buns. Packed into those warm, puffy delights were Manchego and Queso fresco bound in harmony by yucca flour. These little steamy packages were served with a spicy, warm guava jelly making it impossible to yield to mom's warning not to fill up on the bread. A little sip of the great Rioja that One ordered and we embarked on our excursion through Chef Garcas' menu. First to arrive were choices from the Ceviche section of the menu. We chose Medai and Shellfish. Medai was composed of green chili, mustard oil, and coriander along with very thin slices of fish. The dish was light and refreshing with each flavor speaking quietly amongst its neighbors. Shellfish was a richer dish and provided a nice compliment to the delicacy of the Medai. Two kept marveling at all of the thinly sliced fried adornments on the plate...wow...never thought to fry thinly sliced chorizo to crispy perfection. The mussels and shrimp held center stage while the adoring saffron sauce and peas provided backup without overpowering the star of the show. The saffron rice cake on the side was great comfort food in the slightly risky foreign world of this kind of plate that requires curious examination prior to eating. Next to appear was Pulpo, Spanish octopus, with rocoto (a chili pepper common in Peru and among the oldest of domesticated peppers grown up to 5000 years ago) puree, olive escabeche, and purple potato salad with crispy bacon. These flavors were far more assertive than those in the Ceviches that it followed. The octopus was tender. Period. How often does that happen? But what we wondered was why it always seems to be so salty. The potato salad was a nice counterpoint to the the salt of the octopus - providing a moment for the palate to rest a bit before diving back into the ring with the powerful flavor of the octopus. The bacon was like a little smoky campfire on the plate - a momentary bold diversion from the octopus. Kobe beef wrapped in lettuce slid onto the table behind the plate that I really think One licked when Two wasn't looking...It was at this point when we started to need sips of the sparkling water because in all honesty, the octopus wasn't the only salty dish. The Kobe beef and its peanut sauce somehow got lost amidst the power of the oils and salt crystals. I will say that on its own the peanut sauce was fantastic - the peanuts tasted fresh and roasted with the sweetness of coconut just slightly apparent. The lamb struck the same salty cord with the sauce overwhelming the really nice little lamb chops. The sauce was very good - but perhaps just as a bed rather than a bed and blanket. The ginger quinoa and pickled cucumber beside the lamb was a thoughtful combination. Next outrageous guest was the Lobster noodle. Flat white noodles, rocoto cream, parmesan, and peas studded with big chunks of tender, sweet like a sea breeze lobster. Ohhhh....comfort food beyond all comfort. Hot, steamy, cheesy, melty...excuse me while I swoon...and despite the heaviness of the creamy, starchy goodness, the delicacy of the lobster held sway. By this time One and Two were full. But why not try the wild mushrooms topped with puff pastry. Loosen the belt and watch the waiter pop open a steam vent in the pastry and pour in the cream. I think that's about all that needs be said about the mushrooms other than that there were little cubes of tofu and potatoes in there and maybe a fava bean or two.

The menu is a nice balance of homey comfort and light delicacy. The combinations are original and balanced. The elements of each dish are paired beautifully though at times the escalation of the intensity of flavors reached a climax in some of the dishes that was a bit overwhelming. Try to pop back and forth between the two when ordering.

Was there room for dessert. Oh...the dessert. We would go to this restaurant just for the dessert. Wow. Cold, slightly sweet coconut sorbet, a little upright slice of smooth passion fruit curd, a crispy chip of coconut meringue, passion fruit parfait, and young coconut noodles is a combination suited to our version of heaven on earth. Try to keep the pleasurable moans to yourself. Just try. We dare you. Then move onto the Hazelnut Mocha. Conversation will cease as your spoon brings the thick, semisweet mocha ganache to your lips with a touch of the cold, espresso granita. Spoon the sweet cream ice cream to your mouth with the hazelnut brittle. Go on - use your fingers here in heaven. Why not? We gladly give

LA MORENA

It would be hard to be completely objective about La Morena because that is where Two met one another for the first time...Yes, the first date was in a BYOB fluorescently lit tacqueria in Hatboro over refried beans and OMG One had the pork skin tacos...he was also wearing the suit. Was it love at first sight? That's our secret. Will you love this restaurant? Yes, especially if you have been to Mexico and eaten in the simple restaurants there, as this will be the food you remember. The menu has the usual tacos, burritos, and enchiladas along with homemade sauces both red and green. The sauces reminded us of the "gravy" that is so common on the plates in Mexico. The other things that stands out - or down - as the case may be is the height of the food on the plate. Everything touches and pools and settles together into a low, homey, sauce covered melange on the plate in a manner so common to this kind of Mexican cooking. One had chicken with mole nestled up to his slathering of beans and rice along with fresh corn tortillas. It was excellent. The mole tasted home made and had a smooth balance of cocoa and chile. Two had the enchiladas with chicken and with beef along with both red and green sauce. The combination was wonderful as well. Absolutely order the gorditas as an appetiser for two and ask for some red sauce to go with them. They were the best part of the meal. Our recommendation is to order a bit of a variety of things and share. The staff is friendly. The decor is basic. The vacuum will shoo you out at nine, but if you are longing for the food you had in a lonely taqueria in Mexico, give La Morena a visit. We give La Morena

11 East Moreland Avenue

Hatboro PA

(215)675-4429

FIVE GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES

There are 19 locations throughout PA, NJ, & DE to serve you burgers FIVE GUYS style and adorning the bright red and white walls of these establishments are numerous, unanimous reviews applauding the food, service, and decor. So what can we possibly add to the din of approval? Hamburgers seem to be one of those meals that is prompted by a craving. Someone says "You know...I am dying for a hamburger...a really good one...it's been so long." And everyone has a different style of burger that is conjured by that craving. At Five Guys, the creativity is entirely up to you. You choose the size and then choose from any combination of 15 things to add to the burger. I chose a "little" cheeseburger with fried onions, ketchup, lettuce, and tomato and then regretted not adding fried mushrooms and bacon as my companion did on hers. Why not? The toppings are "free" with the price of the burger. Mine was only $3.99. If you are really hungry get the regular burger which is actually a double. SO...there is fun to be had in getting creative with your toppings. The kids love being burger designers too. Where there is no control is in the cooking of the burger which is always well done. And to their credit the meat (fresh and never frozen) is seasoned, formed, and cooked so that this is not really a problem - though honestly when I visualize my dream burger it is medium rare. So, is it the "Best Burger" around? In this regard I would say no. Is it a really good burger that you and your family will love? Yes. Absolutely. The fries are fresh cut and cooked - also excellent. The Cajun style fries are like being lost in an addictive world of potatoes, peanut oil, and spicy seasoning. But alas the peanuts...therein lies the only problem at FIVE GUYS. If you have a nut allergy stay away. The fun of shelling endless supplies of peanuts really poses a risk. It seems strange to us that a restaurant would make a choice that excludes so many potential customers...is there nothing else fun to munch on while waiting for one of those very polite five guys (yes - we counted five) to get your burger ready to the beat of loud classic rock? We give the Five Guys,